Argentinian hopes progress at Roland Garros

Two of Argentina’s best hopes for French Open success advanced to the third round at Roland Garros today.

Last year’s runner-up Guillermo Coria progressed when his 18-year-old opponent Novak Djokovic from Serbia & Montenegro retired through injury in the third set.

It will have come as a welcome relief for the eighth seed as the game was evenly poised at 4-6 6-2 3-2 when Djokovic was unable to carry on due to respiratory problems.

“I think he has got a big future,” said Coria. “I was surprised by his speed. He was running around like a rabbit, playing very fast and that’s difficult.”

Coria’s countryman Guillermo Canas, seeded nine, is also through but in more routine fashion after thrashing Spain’s Albert Montanes 6-1 6-3 6-4.

Two Russian seeds had differing fortunes.

Number 12 seed Nikolay Davydenko beat Belgium’s Olivier Rochus 3-6 7-5 6-2 6-3 but number 29 Mikhail Youzhny went down 6-3 6-4 7-6 (7-5) to Austrian Jurgen Melzer.

Germany’s Tommy Haas, seeded 21, was also a beneficiary of a retirement when his opponent Vincent Spadea pulled out when trailing 6-4 6-3.